I am thinking about attempting my first lager. I do not own a lagering fridge however my basement is currently been in the 52-54 degree range. I was thinking about doing a Lager with WLP810 San Francisco Lager Yeast. According to there website it will remain lager characteristics up to 65 degrees but will ferment down to 50 degrees. Seems perfect for my temp range in the basement right now. Most all of the other White Labs yeasts have a working range only up to 55 degrees and although my basement has consistently under this temperature lately I think that with the fermentation heat I will be beyond this range albeit only a few degrees (unless lager yeasts don't create the same type of heat ale yeasts do?).
Can I ferment a lager using this yeast at a constant temp rather then slowly lowering it over a few days to mid 50s and then slowly raising it for the Diacetyl Rest I keep hearing about? I was thinking I would do as follows:
Lower wort temp to about 65 degrees. Pitch yeast and move fermenter to basement.
Ferment at ~53 degrees room temp for 14 days
move to upstairs for 2 days for diacetyl rest at about 67 degrees
Keg and condition in my keezer for 2 weeks at about 37 degrees
I was planning on doing a simple extract beer light in color and low IBUs
something along the lines of
5lb extra light DME
1lb crystal 20
.5oz cascade boiled 60 mins
1oz challenger 30 mins
1/2 tsp irish moss
should finish about 4.5% abv 1.015 at 23 IBU according to my calculator.
Either that or I might try a rolling rock clone I found (not my top choice but, its the fiances favorite beer and since I have a keg of an arrogant bastardesc ale about to finish what do I care, I just want to make an attempt at lagering while the temps are agreeable.)
Does this sound like it will work out as a plan or should I scrap it and just stick to ales till I get a conditioning fridge?
Oh one more thing if I keg condition like this should I carbonate while conditioning or just purge off the oxygen and let the beer condition in the keg. And once conditioning is done should I transfer to another keg Id imagine that there will be some sludge in the bottom of the keg after cold crashing it in the keezer for lagering? With my ales I usually secondary in a carboy before kegging but that would take up to much room in the keezer so keg it must be....
Can I ferment a lager using this yeast at a constant temp rather then slowly lowering it over a few days to mid 50s and then slowly raising it for the Diacetyl Rest I keep hearing about? I was thinking I would do as follows:
Lower wort temp to about 65 degrees. Pitch yeast and move fermenter to basement.
Ferment at ~53 degrees room temp for 14 days
move to upstairs for 2 days for diacetyl rest at about 67 degrees
Keg and condition in my keezer for 2 weeks at about 37 degrees
I was planning on doing a simple extract beer light in color and low IBUs
something along the lines of
5lb extra light DME
1lb crystal 20
.5oz cascade boiled 60 mins
1oz challenger 30 mins
1/2 tsp irish moss
should finish about 4.5% abv 1.015 at 23 IBU according to my calculator.
Either that or I might try a rolling rock clone I found (not my top choice but, its the fiances favorite beer and since I have a keg of an arrogant bastardesc ale about to finish what do I care, I just want to make an attempt at lagering while the temps are agreeable.)
Does this sound like it will work out as a plan or should I scrap it and just stick to ales till I get a conditioning fridge?
Oh one more thing if I keg condition like this should I carbonate while conditioning or just purge off the oxygen and let the beer condition in the keg. And once conditioning is done should I transfer to another keg Id imagine that there will be some sludge in the bottom of the keg after cold crashing it in the keezer for lagering? With my ales I usually secondary in a carboy before kegging but that would take up to much room in the keezer so keg it must be....